Can anyone advise me if it is justifiable to spend a lot of money on active nearfield monitors that will likely be moved around frequently, and used mostly in untreated rooms? In the first instance they will def only see occasional use, so I'm trying to ascertain what is really necessary.

Also, and qualified by my first question; are there units which might better suit acoustic instruments? I often read that this or that is good for x or y, but have never seen mention of which monitor might be best employed for mixing fiddles / mandolins / acoustic guitar etc. It would be fine if whatever I end up with could handle the occasional session with drumkit and bass etc too.

I can't realistically try stuff out without a 500 mile round trip either, so recommendations welcome. I keep looking back at the little Adam A3x but must admit this is in part at least a cosmetic attraction.

Thanks for any help.

Brian

Edited by saltybrian (16/05/12 11:31 PM)

The PMC TB2s are stunning for acoustic instruments and their smaller siblings the DB series may be ideal for your purposes.

Check out the SOS reviews.

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Quote saltybrian:

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Can anyone advise me if it is justifiable to spend a lot of money on active nearfield monitors that will likely be moved around frequently, and used mostly in untreated rooms? In the first instance they will def only see occasional use, so I'm trying to ascertain what is really necessary.

Also, and qualified by my first question; are there units which might better suit acoustic instruments? I often read that this or that is good for x or y, but have never seen mention of which monitor might be best employed for mixing fiddles / mandolins / acoustic guitar etc. It would be fine if whatever I end up with could handle the occasional session with drumkit and bass etc too.

I can't realistically try stuff out without a 500 mile round trip either, so recommendations welcome. I keep looking back at the little Adam A3x but must admit this is in part at least a cosmetic attraction.

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Simple answer - yes - I now use the ME Geithain RL906 for this use and there is both an optional flight case or tough padded bag for carrying them around (having said that, I also ended up buying the company that distributes them in the UK).

The Neumann KH120 are also suitable for this use (I used to use the K+H O110D) and, again, there is a flight case or padded carrying bag available.

Either of the above would be well suitable for your purpose - I use them for acoustic instruments for classical music recording - though they are both neutral monitors and suitable for a wide range of music genres.

PMC are also on my top-5 list of monitors to be trusted (ATC, Geithain, Harbeth, Neumann/K+H and PMC). I found the DB1 slightly coloured (shows up in speech) which is why I bought the O110D several years back, though the TB2 are better. But I don't think they do bags or cases as standard and you would have to have custom cases made if you go this route.

Although I don't personally like them very much, Genelec also do padded bags for their monitors.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

John, how did you get on with the Geithain RL906?

Had my eye on them for a while....

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Samplecraze
Stretch That Note

Quote John Willett:

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(having said that, I also ended up buying the company that distributes them in the UK).

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Quote saltybrian:

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Can anyone advise me if it is justifiable to spend a lot of money on active nearfield monitors that will likely be moved around frequently, and used mostly in untreated rooms?

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No-one's actually answered this point as such so I'll have a go. AIUI nearfield monitors are best for this sort of environment because being closer to you the sound is less affected by the room than other monitor types. So yes, nearfield monitors are what you want and active means you won't have to bother with moving an amp as well.

I haven't a wide range of experience of monitors but all my recording is of acoustic instruments and I've been very happy with my Genelec 8030a's. I might have been just as happy with something else, but there it is.

CC

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Put the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio

I'd agree that it is worth spending the money on decent monitors - they'll usually outlast most other bits of kit in the studio if you go for something good to start with. I'm a fan of older designs so I'm still using a pair of passive KEF LS3/5a's - there are other newer designs that are supposed to be better but the LS3/5a's still have a devoted following.

James.

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JRP Music - Audio Mastering and Restoration.
http://www.jrpmusic.net

Hi
I would seriously look for a pair of ‘Genelec’ 8020A (bi-amp) speakers(size and sound wise).Even better if you can find previous version,second hand...

If it's your only reference point on location then the monitors have to be good and trustworthy. Near fields are the way to go, but simple instant acoustic treatment in the form of duvets suspended from cheap lighting stands are worth thinking about too.

I use either PMC db1s or tb2s on location, depending on the space in the car and the size of room, but if I was looking for something new I'd go with the Neumann kh120 monitors. Very compact but superb sound accuracy and surprising bass extension and volume.

I reviewed them in the mag recently.

There are lots of possible contenders depending on budget, of course, but buying well means you won't need to upgrade.

H

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Thank you all for the helpful input. as someone who's invested heavily in instruments and associated gear over the years, the idea of spending now to save later rings true indeed.

I was looking at the A3x from Adam and others in that price range - is it naive to think I might get anything that would do a reasonable job on primarily acoustic music for that kind of money?

Thanks for all the pointers. A lot of the suggestions were a tad beyond what I was comfortable spending, so I've gone for some Focal cms 40s. Time to stop shopping and get working